2018 Department of Plant Molecular Biology University of Delhi South Campus Estb. 1988 Cover Page About The mature wheat spikes represent the successful culmination of the Wheat Ge- The Department of Plant Molecular nome Sequencing Project in 2014, an international consortium project where Biology was established in 1988 under the DPMB contributed towards sequencing of the long arm of chromosome 2A. This Faculty of Interdisciplinary and Applied is the latest in a series of genome sequencing endeavors (starting from Rice Sciences to cater to the needs of students in 2005, followed by Tomato in 2012) to which our department has significantly in frontier areas of plant biology and to contributed. A graphical representation of a network on the right signifies current carry out research on Molecular Aspects and sustained efforts of all the faculty members of the DPMB towards under- of Plant Biology and Biotechnology. The standing the Gene regulatory networks, Protein-protein interactions and Signaling Department was enriched by merger networks that govern growth and development in plants and affect their ability to of the Unit for Plant Cell and Molecular withstand abiotic and biotic stress conditions. Biology in 1988 (originally established by the DST), and award of COSIST grant by the UGC (1990-1995). The Department has institutional as well as international been recognized for Special Assistance (2010 - 2013), and Professor Madan Mohan projects. The research has yielded about Programme (DRS Phase I to Phase III) (2013 - 2014) have served as Heads of the 750 publications and a few patents have Contacts by the UGC (2002-2018) to strengthen Department. been filed. Efforts of the faculty have been research/teaching in the area of Functional The research has been supported recognized in the form of fellowships to The Head, Department of Plant Molecular Biology Genomics. Since its establishment in by major grants in the form of “Centre for national/international scientific academies University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Marg, New Delhi 110021 1988, Professor S.C. Maheshwari (1988- Plant Molecular Biology” and “Genome and national/international awards. While 1992), Professor Akhilesh K. Tyagi (1988, Initiatives on Sequencing, Gene Discovery providing due emphasis for basic research [email protected] 011-2411-1208 http://dpmb.ac.in 1992-95, 1998-2001), Professor Jitendra and Function” by DBT, in addition to E T W and training, the Department endeavors P. Khurana (1995-1998, 2001- 2004, 2014 other competitive grants from DST, UGC, to convert knowledge into application for - 2016), Professor Paramjit Khurana (2004 - European Commission and the Rockefeller human welfare. 2007, 2016- till date), Professor Anil Grover Foundation. The faculty is involved in multi– 2 (2007-2010), Professor Indranil Dasgupta 3 Research Publications (in numbers) Research Highlights (Journal cover pages) 800 55 51 48 50 700 42 600 40 40 38 40 35 36 500 30 31 29 30 400 26 25 25 23 300 19 17 17 18 18 20 14 200 13 12 PUBLICATIONS YEARLY CUMULATIVE PUBLICATIONS PUBLICATIONS CUMULATIVE 10 11 8 10 7 6 100 4 0 0 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 In last five years (2012-2017) 261 26 4259 Research articles in Book Chapters Citations peer-reviewed journals 4 5 Prof. Akhilesh K. Tyagi and knockdown transgenics with specific reference Research Interests to target traits. Anther- and seed-specific promoters (OSIPK, OSIFBOX, OSIHLH, OSIPP3, OSIPA, Major research interests of the group relate to OSIZOS) have also been evaluated in transgenic The Team photosynthesis/phototransduction, stress/ systems to provide components for modulation of reproductive biology, genome analysis and useful processes like male sterility and nutritional genetic enhancement. Lead role has been played value, respectively. A novel stress-associated protein in major research efforts India has undertaken (SAP) gene family has been discovered in plants. For in Plant Science, which include Centre for Plant Select Publications 6 Mathur, S., Vyas, S., Kapoor, S. and Tyagi, A.K. (2011). water-deficit response, selected SAP, TCP and RLCK The mediator complex in plants: structure, phylogeny Molecular Biology at Delhi University, Indian Initiative genes have been evaluated for capacity to confer 1 Ranjan, R., Khurana, R., Malik, N., Badoni, S., Parida, and expression profiling of representative genes in a for Rice Genome Sequencing, Indian Initiative on S.K., Kapoor, S. and Tyagi, A.K. (2017). bHLH142 dicot (Arabidopsis thaliana) and a monocot (Oryza water-deficit stress tolerance/sensitivity. Stress- Awards and Distinctions regulates various metabolic pathways-related genes Tomato Genome Sequencing, Network Project on inducible promoters (NBS-Str1 and BLEC-Str8) have sativa) during reproduction and stress. Plant Physiol. to affect pollen development and anther dehiscence in 157: 1609-1627. Rice Functional Genomics, Centre of Excellence in been evaluated in rice. Molecular genetic approaches • President, National Academy of Sciences, India (2015- rice. Scientific Reports 7: 43397. Biotechnology, Next Generation Challenge Program in 2016). 7 Giri, J., Vij, S., Dansana, P.K. and Tyagi, A. (2011). Rice involving DNA marker, association, linkage, & bi- 2 Malik, N., Agarwal, P. and Tyagi, A.K. (2017). Emerging A20/AN1 zinc-finger containing stress-associated Chickpea Genomics and Analysis of Diversity in Yield parental map as also haplotype have been used to • Director, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, functions of multi-protein complex Mediator with proteins (SAP1/11) and a receptor-like cytoplasmic Components. This has led to generation of genome- identify genes/QTLs controlling seed traits and other New Delhi (2009-2016). special emphasis on plants. Critical Rev. Biochem. kinase (OsRLCK253) interact via A20 zinc-finger Mol. Biol. 52: 475-502. wide information from important crop plants like architectural traits of agronomic value in chickpea and • Fellow, National (FNASc, FASc, FNAAS, FNA) and and confer abiotic stress tolerance in transgenic 3 Malik, N., Dwivedi, N., Singh, A.K., Parida, S.K., Arabidopsis plants. New Phytol. 191: 721-732. rice, tomato and chickpea, representing three major rice. international (FTWAS) Science Academies. groups of plants, i.e. cereals, vegetables and pulses, Agarwal, P., Thakur, J.K. and Tyagi, A.K. (2016). An 8 Kathuria, H., Giri, J., Nataraja, K.N., Murata, This work is highly relevant to understand dynamic • JC Bose National Fellowship Award, DST, Government integrated genomic strategy delineates candidate responsible for our food and nutritional security. N., Udayakumar, M. and Tyagi, A.K. (2009). aspects of the function of biological systems and of India, 2007-2021. Mediator genes regulating grain size and weight in Glycinebetine-induced water-stress tolerance in rice. Scientific Reports 6: 23253. Precise molecular model/phylogeny-based also to generate appropriate options for genetic • GM Modi Award for Innovative Science & Technology, codA-expressing transgenic indica rice is associated 4 Jain, M., Misra, G., Patel, R., Priya, P., Jhanwar, S., with up-regulation of several stress responsive annotation/expression profiling of highly significant enhancement of crop plants. In fact, the knowledge 2017. gene families representing transcription factors, • Khan, A., Shah, N., Singh, V., Garg, R., Jeena, G., genes. Plant Biotech. Journal 7: 512-526. about plant genomes is already being used to breed Shri Om Prakash Bhasin Award for Science and Yadav, M., Kant, C., Sharma, P., Yadav, G., Bhatia, signal transduction components, protein processing Technology, 2011. 9 The International Rice Genome Sequencing Project*. improved varieties of rice, tomato and chickpea in S., *Tyagi, A. and *Chattopadhyay, D. (2013). A (2005). The map-based sequence of the rice components and RNA interference-associated India and world-wide. Over-all, >250 publications of • BP Pal Memorial Award, ISCA, 2008. draft genome sequence of the pulse crop chickpea genome. Nature 436: 793-800. (*Co-authored as (Cicer arietinum L.). Plant Journal 74: 715-729. (*joint proteins, controlling crucial plant processes, has been international repute have been generated with GS • Birbal Sahni Medal 2006, IBS, 2006. Coordinator of the Indian Initiative for Rice Genome corresponding authors). Sequencing). done. The genome-wide transcriptome profile during H-index of 63 and 15000 citations. This research • NASI – Reliance Industries Platinum Jubilee Award, reproduction and stress is being associated with 5 The Tomato Genome Consortium (TGC*). (2012). The 10 Mukhopadyay, A., Vij, S. and Tyagi, A.K. (2004). is largely an outcome of investigations of national/ NASI, 2006. tomato genome sequence provides insights into fleshy pathway analysis to unravel intricate net-works. Seed/ Over-expression of a zinc-finger protein gene from international collaborators and >120 Post-Doctoral, • National Bioscience Award, DBT, Govt. of India, New fruit evolution. Nature 485: 635-641. (*Co-authored as rice confers tolerance to cold, dehydration, and salt anther-specific genes coding for MADS, MED, HAP, Doctoral, Master, Fellow and Trainee researchers. Delhi, 1999. Coordinator of the Indian Initiative on Tomato Genome stress in transgenic tobacco. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. bZIP, ZOS, PK, HLH and GW2 proteins have been used Sequencing). USA 101: 6309-6314. to decipher their function by raising overexpression